Fire damages Worcester house

Dave Liberis was in his car heading out of his neighborhood tonight to do some errands when he thought he smelled something burning. His nose led him to Chevy Chase Road.

By Thomas Caywood TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Dave Liberis was in his car heading out of his neighborhood tonight to do some errands when he thought he smelled something burning.

Having just strung up his Christmas lights the other day, he thought he'd better go back to check his house. But his nose led him instead to nearby Chevy Chase Road.

As his girlfriend called 911, at about 8 p.m., Mr. Liberis pounded on the front door of 29 Chevy Chase Road, shouting for anybody inside the darkened house to wake up and get out.

“I was yelling, 'Hello! Hello! Anybody in there?' and hitting every door and window I could reach,” Mr. Liberis said.

When another neighbor turned up and joined in the banging, Mr. Liberis ran around back to try the rear windows of the split-level home. As the smoke from the roof grew thicker, he could hear sirens approaching in the distance.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire inside the unoccupied home. The two-alarm blaze was quickly put out, but not before the upper floor sustained heavy smoke and fire damage.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

The American Red Cross of Central Massachusetts was called to the scene. The agency reported that two adults were displaced by the fire. The Red Cross provided hotel, food vouchers, clothing and comfort kits.